Best Pizza Slice (2012)

When the title of best pizza is tossed around, someone inevitably brings up Vito's Pizza, the West Hollywood institution that serves one of the more refined East Coast pizzas in Los Angeles (New Jersey–style, specifically). Best known is the White Pie, slicked with large of amounts of oily pesto and mounds of fresh ricotta. The edges are more substantial and chewier than at most thin-crust places, and the classic cheese-tomato-oregano slice balances the flavor of carbonized mozzarella and tangy, herbaceous sauce in a way sure to please any old-school pizzaiolo. Regulars swear by the whole pies — as well they should — but Vito's ability to produce a crispy, bubbling slice on cue remains a high art form. 846 N. La Cienega Blvd., W. Hlywd. (310) 652-6859, vitopizza.com.
—Garrett Snyder